Letters to the Editor

Smoke avoidable

Avoidable: John McPhee says the woodsmoke haze over Devonport and other centres could be reduced if people took more care with heating.

When the weather is cold I like to warm myself by a good fire as much as the next person but after the smoke haze on Saturday afternoon, I think it is time some residents of Devonport took on board a few basic rules on how to burn a clean fire.

It’s not that hard – dry wood, clean flue, keep the air up to it when starting, for each new piece of wood, and overnight to stop the stinking overnight smouldering.

John McPhee, Devonport

Democracy at play

At the June meeting of Devonport council and repeated in the “Mayor’s Message” (Adv., June 27), Mayor Steve Martin commented in relation to ratepayer concerns around Living City that “negativity breeds negativity, while positiveness breeds positivity...”

Questioning the spend-fest by council is the democratic process at work.

Does Mayor Martin believe that the spending of massive ratepayer borrowings should continue without critical examination by anyone?

Guess that also means we shall be hearing no more negative statements by the mayor on local issues including the Mersey Community Hospital from now on and in the lead up to his next election tilt, be that council, state or federal elections.

Along with several attempts to gag ratepayer questioning it appears when it comes to critical analysis council prefers Living City to remain the ultimate “sacred cow” that it is.

Malcolm Gardam, Miandetta

Growing greener

Ever wondered what it takes to make someone greener than they really should be, especially a farmer like myself?

Well cast your eyes seaward at the Mawbanna turnoff in Circular Head. Look at the patch of old coastal forest, formerly full of hollows for parrots, owls, bats and pygmy possums now pushed over for an extra hectare of grass.

One of my fellow farmers did that, admittedly just trying to farm his or her land but it’s no excuse. Areas like this should never be cleared.

Patches of remnant bush, especially alongside an estuary, should be fenced off, treasured and loved for what they are.

These fragments of the former natural environment contain the last of our local biodiversity. The last remnants of species that make up the uniqueness of Tasmania and indeed the uniqueness of Australia.

Its enough to make a grown man cry.

Andrew Nichols, Sisters Creek

Unbelievable

I read recently that the average pay rose just 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2017 and 1.9 per cent across the year (1.8 per cent in the private sector).

Wages growth is now at its lowest since ABS records began. What are our governments doing about this?

In the health sphere also fees have increased and skyrocketed most severely outside of the major cities. For patients seeing a metropolitan GP, average costs have climbed 24 percent; in very remote areas this figure is almost double (43 per cent).

The result is that people don't access care.

According to an ABS survey, more than 1 in 20 Australians skip GP and specialist visits due to cost and almost one in five can't afford to see a dentist.

These households are already among the most chronically ill, with much higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer than the most wealthy.

It seems Australians are not protected despite so-called universal healthcare, and now pay on average higher out of pocket costs than Americans, as unbelievable as that sounds.

We need to continually challenge our governments both federal and state to spend more on health and especially here in the north west of Tasmania.